#1 Mistake Made When Hearing a Bugle

[Trophyhill]

Lets hear your thoughts.

[WapitiTalk1]

Answering it . Been there, done that, got several T shirts. Don't let him know about "you" until you're close enough to pose a threat to his stable, or, just call him in out of curiosity (early season... can I hang out and see what you're up to?). If you don't answer from a distance with a bugle and move in, you retain the choice of being a cow coming in to his calls also. Yep, answering a distant bugle immediately takes away the element of surprise in most scenarios. Do your best to figure out where the bugle came from, possibly where he's going, time of day is a consideration, and move towards either an intercept course or right to where he's getting ready to (or already) bedded down. Make your decision on best play when you get close. Good question David.

[Pop-r]

Committing to your location. & usually calling while you again commit to said spot while meanwhile he bugles his cows up & leaves while you HOPED he came your way. Alot of times it's hard to get "in the zone" but it's impossible if you don't try!

[DirtyErn]

Yep with Phantom on this. It's easy to get sucked into using that new bugle. But I've notice that when I hunt solo I tend to be quieter on the woods, when hearing a bugle closing the distance. Many times other hunters

[Brendan]

I agree when you hear a bull you think is with cows (had a bull and his herd move away in this situation), but what about when you hear a lone location bugle a ways off? Happened to me last year, I answered, he came looking for me and is the bull that made the trip home with me.... Yes, he was a satellite / lone bull looking for company - I was perfectly fine with that

All about the type of bugle and the situation.

[ElkNut1]

You will locate more elk with a bugle, but you can run as many off if you don't know how to use it!

# 1 mistake is not "Reading The Situation" correctly. Some bulls you have to get there as quick as possible, others you do not! Don't treat herd bulls like satellites. Locate elk & get on them without them seeing or smelling you! Sometimes getting there quick is 45 min & others is minutes.

ElkNut1

[Trophyhill]

Great stuff! My thought was closing the distance. Whether it is solicited or a bull sounding off on his own, as a solo hunter, once I hear a bull, I want to close the distance before calling or in some cases, calling again.

[BrentLaBere]

Good points so far and I think Paul covered it all with reading the situation correctly. Not only his vocalization but terrain and time of day like others have pointed out.
If you have the wind and cover, closing the distance fast is key. I stepped it up this last year and closed the distance as fast as I could, and I think some dont do it fast enough. I literally RAN to an elk this last season. That bull was on his feet and moving so the situation dictated that. Others you may want to creep in and take your time if he is bedded. So to state the mistakes, not closing fast enough and sometimes not sitting back and letting the situation play out for another day. I am sure I made that clear as mud.....

[Tigger]

So how do you read this situation:

You are on a ridge overlooking a nice basin and hear a bugle from the timbered slope down below somewhere. Not at the bottom or top, but somewhere in the middle. time is 8 am. Is it a satellite or herd bull?

that is where I will struggle. One bugle....what is it? Not much to read. My move would be to close the distance I guess. but I have no clue if it is a herd or satellite.

[BrentLaBere]

One single or two note bugle, with not much intensity (im filling in the blanks myself here), in the timber is on the move from feeding to bedding. It could mean he is nearing his bedding area or watering area (possibly a wallow) and is checking to see if anyone else is around.

Other information is needed to really determine what is going on. Even then it can be difficult to know for sure, but the emotion in his vocalization is key. If it is an advertising type bugle, or really aggressive, it wont be the only sounds you here.

[Tigger]

That is my fear, that I will hear a bugle but will not interpret it correctly.

[Charina]

The last couple years, my #1 mistake was not having hearing aids. One ear is kaputz, so my directional detection is horrible. Forget situational interpretation! I couldn't even interpret what direction a bugle was coming from!! I would turn my head trying to infer by the strength/clarity of the sound in my one good ear which direction the bugle was coming from, but that was marginally effective at best. And when my 18yo joined me last fall, he heard many that I couldn't hear. I got a hearing aid in my bad ear last week, and it's amazing to have directional hearing again! Alright, #1 mistake is taken care of. Now . . . to think about reading the situation.

To add to Phantom's thoughts about replying being the #1 mistake. Not having confidence in my bugling abilities the last couple years (plus not hunting the herd bull - spike only area), and so not responding when I did hear them, but instead moving in keying in on the bugle served me well. I was hunting a spike-only OTC tag, but would still key in on the bugling herd bull, as I would sometimes find spikes hanging out around the fringes of the protected harem. Just listening (as best I could), being silent, and moving in put me within rifle and muzzleloader range of a good handful of herd bulls, and within bow range of a couple. I only got within range of one of the herd bulls I cow called to and got responses from. But I got in close and personal to several I heard and moved in on silently. If I'm looking to scope out a herd bull, and he's telling me where he's at, I don't see much reason to let him know I'm coming.

[BrentLaBere]

That is my fear, that I will hear a bugle but will not interpret it correctly.

I wouldnt sweat it. You dont have to be 100% right or wrong.....
I was giving examples and no two situations will be the same. Listen to the emotion of the call, use the wind and terrain to cut the distance and go from there.

[ElkNut1]

Tigger, great question! No time at the moment to respond but will try to do it this evening when I generally have more time, thanks!

ElkNut1

[ElkNut1]

Certainly nothing to fear, it's no more than a learning process! (grin) The only thing I really fear is being seen or winded, if that happens all bets are off! (grin)

If I heard a bugle as you describe I would sit there patiently & listen again if I was unsure what I heard. At 8 am this elk is in its feeding area, it's most likely with other elk at this time. If I was sure what I heard such as a bull talking to his cows or was he warning a satellite to stay away then it would be a no brainer. This bull can communicate with a variety of sounds that may have a sort of intensity or cadence to his sounds to help us unravel his message being sent. I also listen for mature sounds or satellite type sounds. You can tell a lot by a bulls sounds by his maturity or lack of it as well as what he may be saying. -- For instance, if you were at home & the door bell rang but you were in a place where the door cannot be seen & you heard someone say "can you come out & play" do you have to see this individual to know he was a youngster? Of course not, you could tell by his young age & what he said it was not a grownup. The same would apply if when door was answered & you heard a guy say "are you ready to tear into that transmission" -- It would again be obvious by sound & message that these were more mature individuals. Elk are the same way. Learn to Read The Situation & it's not to hard to tell what you're dealing with. (grin) Elk sounds send a message as well as date their age within reason, listen to both & you can do well as what to do next!.

ElkNut1